Heating system



July 10, 1923.

B. MILLS ET AL HEATING SYSTEM Filed Jan. 24', 1921 INVENTORS.

"ATTORNEYS.

. Patented July to, teas.

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BERNARD MILLS, OF BROOKLYN. NEW YORK, AND REUBEN R. BOW HOW DAVIS, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOBS TO ROW & DA, IiElIBIl'G' INC., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

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Application filed January at, 1921. Serial Elm-4819,4544.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, BERNARD MILLS, REUBEN B. Row, and HowAnn C. DAVIS, citizens of the United States, the former resida ing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, and the two latter residing at Elizabeth, in the county,of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Heating Systems, of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to theheating of congealed: or thickened .liquids to render them liquid ormobile and tomaintain them in that condition. Many substances, such as, for example, heavy petroleum oils, asphalt, molasses, etc., congeal or thicken into a solid or gelatinous massbelow certain temperatures and when in that condition their 920 removal and transfer presents many difficulties. While the application of sufiicient heat will render them mobile and easily handled by pipes, difiiculty has heretofore been experienced in applying the heat successfully. 'A common method heretofore employed for applying the heat has been by means of steam coils located within the storage tanks. With this method the mass immediately surroundin the coils will be rendered mobile or liqui but as no successful circulating means has been provided the remainder of the mass will be substantially unafi'ected. If there is a leak in thecoils the substance being handled is diluted and 7 the water so added must be .subsequently removed. In order to make repairs or to establi sh the existence of a leak, the tank must first be. emptied. The steam coils also occupy considerable space and decrease the so capacity of the tanks. *lln marine installations, the space between the inner and outer bottom skins of a ship is. commonly utilized for tanks for the storage of the heavy fuel oil and because of the proximity of the tanks at to the cold sea water, the oil quickly coneals or solidifies, These tanks are very inaccessible because of their location in the extreme bottom of the ship, and owing to the large amount of bracing in these tanksan the installationof steam coils "therein is very slow, dificult, and expens1ve,and the coils arealmost inaccessible for inspection and repair. r I

An object of our invention is to provide a heating system for such purposes which will largely eliminate the above mentioned defects and difiiculties. More particularly our object is to provide a system in which the piping necessary within a tank is very small with a consequent elimination-of danger of leaky joints, in which the piping 'is practically all exposed and readily accessible for inspection and repair, and in which the capacity of the tanks is not materially decreased. A further object is to provide a system which is comparatively inexpensive and simple in construction, installation and operation, which is reliable, rapid and efficient, which permits of a positive control of the temperature of the contents of a storage tank, and in which repairs can be effected without first removing the contents of any of the tanks. Other objects and advantages will be a parent from the following description and the novel features of our invention will be particularly pointed out in claims.

The invention contemplates the prelimi-' nary heating of a quantity of a 1i uid, preterably of the same substance as t at in the storage tank, transferring this liquid preferably as a shifting jet into direct contact with the thickened, congealed, or jellied substance t o break up and dissolve or liquefy a portion of the same and absorb it into the treating liquid, removing the-mixture, heat- 'ing it, and reapplying it to stored substance,

repeatedly until the entire content of a tank is made liquid and mobile and raised to a desired temperature. -A portion of the circulating mixture can be diverted to another or intermediate tank, or utilized in any desired manner at the same time that the contents of a tank are being liquefied or maintained in a liquid condition. The pipe can. rying the heated liquid to the tanks may be disposed within or surroundin the suction pipe through which the liqui is removed from the tank, so that the'suction removal pipe will be heated and its contents kept mobile. The invention also comprises certain details and arrangements which will he more fully hereinafter described. I

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a schematic view'of an apparatus arranged in accordance with our invention for use in marine installations;-

Fig. Zis a plan of a tourniquet deviceor trolled by a valve 23 therein.

fieferring now to the drawings,

Learner reaction turbine zontally curved nozzle imparts to the latter jet; and a rotary movement, the rate of rotation be- Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the same, ing proportional to the velocity of the jet. taken substantially along the line 33 of In use, when starting the valves 17, 21, 23'

and 12 will be closed and the valves 4, 11 and we may 19 will be opened. The opening of valve 19 utilize the usual deep or small tank 1 as an admits steam to the heater and the oil within elemeht of our system. A pump 2 is conthe coil 6 is heated. The pump will be startnected atits intake side to the lower part of ed and will force the hot oil through pipes 9 the tank ltby means of a pipe 3 having thereand 10 into the deep or small tank and from in a control-ling valve 4. The pump is conthe latter will be carried back through pipe for setting up the shifting nected at its discharge end by. a pipe 5 with 3 to the pump and thence through pipe 5 to one end of a heating coil 6 of a central heater the coil 6. The oil is thus caused to circulate 7. The other end pf the coil 6 is connected repeatedly through the heater and the deep to a pipe 9, and a branch 10 of this pipe havor small tank with the result that the oil in ing a valve 11 therein leads to the upper porthe deep tank becomes heated to any desired tion of-the deep o'r settling tankl. Abranch temperature. \Vhen the oil in the deep or of the pipe 9-has a valve -12 therein and the small tank is hot enough the valve 12 will be portion 13 beyond the valve extends .into a opened slightly and the valve 17 entirely storagetank 14 and-to a point therein adjaopened. A portion of the oil from the heater cent the suction outlet 15 ofthe tank. The .7 will now pass through the pipes 9 and 13 suction outlet is connected by a pipe 16 with into the storage tank and this heated oil will the intake side-of the pump 2 and the pipe melt or liquefy a portion of the jellied or 16 has a valve 17 therein. Steam from any solidified oil byits direct contact therewith suitable-source is supplied to the heater 7 around the suction outlet opening 15. This by means of" a pipe 18. having a controlling oil will be. drawn through the opening 15 valve 19 therein, and the condensation is reand pipe 16 to the pump and then be passed moved by a pipe .20 having a controlling through the heater 7 to have its temperature valve 21 therein. The pipe 9 may and prefraised. This oil is again pumped intothe erably does have one or more branch pipes storage tank by pipes 9 and 13, the valve 12 22 leading therefrom to distant parts of the being operated to increase the flow therestorage tank 14, and each branch 22 is conthrough as the operation proceeds so as to increase the quantitv and "nlnnify of the The end of the pipe 22 enters the tank and moving column through the pipe 9, and the carries acollar 24 threaded thereon and fixed valves 11 and 4 partially closed. The oil agalnst unscrewing by a headless set screw circulation'will then be mainly between the 25. A hydraulic tourniquet device or reacpump, heater and storage tank and increastion turblne is carried by the end of the pipe ingamounts of the congealed oil in the stor- 22 and collar 24 so as to produce a shifting age tank will be liquefied. The action of jet of any liquid passing therethrough. This the moving jet of hot oil upon the congealed device may conveniently comprise a nozzle mass tends to break the latter up and assist 26 having an annular inner seat 27 at its in its liquefaction due to the presentation of larger end which fits'over the end of the pipe the greater surface of the small particles of and its collar and has rotary bearing therecongealed oil to the action of the incoming on. A ring 28 which fits loosely on the pipe hot oil. The small amount of the oil diabove the collar, with an inner diameter less verted through the deep tank will keep the than the outer diameter of the collar, is also. contents thereof hot and 'mobile and will received within the seat 27 abutting the col.-. maintain this tank, from which the working lar and secured to the nozzle by means of a supply is drawn, filled continuously. The plurality oiset screws 29'which pass through valve 23 maybe opened and some of the the nozzle into the rlng. The nozzle is free heated oil discharged by means of pipe 22 to rotate on the'collar secured to the pipe and and nozzle 26 into the tank 14 at points dis- 1s restricted agalnst movement longituditant from the outlet 15 to liquefy the renally of the pipe by the engagement of a mainder of the oil in the tank. Increasing shoulder 30 and the ring 28 of the nozzle amounts can be admitted'throu h pipe 22 by with the opposite ends of the collar. The operating valves 12 and 23 so that the entire nozzle has a bore approximately equal to contents of the storage tank 14 can soon be that of the pipe 22 at the end connected to liquefied, raised to any desired tem erature, the latter, and the bore tapers gradually to a and maintained in that condition. lhe nozsmaller orifice at the free end. The nozzle zle gives the jet considerable velocity so that curves downwardly and arcuately in a h0rithe striking of the jet upon the congealed zontal direction at the same time, so that the mass will disintegrate and break up the lataxis of the orifice 1s atone side of and lateral ter into small particles so as to thereby presto the axis of rotatlon of the nozzle. The ent greater surface areato the action of the passage of a jet of liquid through the horihot circulating liquid, which facilitates and mental cause the disintegration or breakin up of a considerable area of the tank. s many pipes 22 and nozzles will be provided as necessary for the size tank to which they are attached. The circulating liquid after contacting with the congealed mass willl flow over the same tothe outlet and'carry with it into circulation a quantity of the mobile contents.

Whenever more than one storage tank, such as the tank 14, is employed, the pipe 19 will have a branch 31 leading thereto with terminal pipes 22 and 13, and valves 12 and 23 operating the same as the corresponding parts for the tank 14. v We provide as many branch pipes 22 as necessary for each tank and each preferably has a nozzle 26 similar to the nozzle 26 on the outlet end of pipe 22. The outlet or suction pipe 16 from the tank 14: corresponds to the pipe 16 and is controlled by a valve l7flcorresponding to the valve 17 Both pipes 16 and 16 are connected to the intake side of the pump 2/ The tanks 14 and 14 can therefore be heated simultaneously or separately as desired by suitable regulation of the controlling valves. The valve 21 and pipe 20 leading from the heater 7 permit the removal of the condensed steam at suitable intervals. The working supply of oil is withdrawn as needed from the deep tank 1 by means of an outlet 32. I

When the oil in the deep tank is hot, and a supply in a new tank is to be used, it is only necessary'to operate the pump and operate the valves leading to the new tank to cause the hot oil to pass through it as hereinbefore explained; In the application of our system to the unloading of tank cars, the deep tank 1 is replaced by a small tank having a simi-. lar function in the system...

It will thus be seen that in the practice of this invention, ractically no piping in the interior of the storage tanks is necessary, and the other piping is exposed so as to he readily amessible for inspection and repairs. In case of leaka e no water can escape into the tanks and dilute the oil orother liquid and so necessitate its separation from the liquid or oil before use. The amount'o'f piping necessary is small and can be easily, rapidly and inexpensively installed. The'elimination of the steam coilsfrom the tanks increases the capacity of the tanks and when repairs are necessary they caiibe made without the necessity ofemptying any of the tanks. The space occupied the apparatus is small and one'heatlng unit does the wor for all storage tanks which not only simplifies the system but-cuts down the installation cost materially. The. system is readily adaptable to present constructions of ships, without material changes or alterations in their construction.

crease the rate of heat transfer, and the In cold weather, the speed of the pump can be increased to inquantity of steam admitted to the heater can also be increased in order to increasethe rate of heat transfer, and the quantity of steam admitted to the heater can also he increased in order to increase the temperature. The system is therefore adaptable to all operating conditions and is positive, efiicient, and reliable in operation.

While we have illustrated and described our system in connection with the handling of heavy fuel oils, it is to be understood that a such illustration is for the purpose of explanation only, and that the invention is ca able of application to the handling of ot or substances having similar congealing or thickening properties. i

By the use of the word oil in the claims we mean those oils which congeal or form a viscous jelly at the lower temperatures that are commonly encountered, and also other materials having similar congealing and thickening properties.

While any liquid may be used in the small tank. and heater for starting purposes, the use of a liquid similar to or the same as the substance to; be handled is preferable.

It will also be understood that various changes in the details and arrangements herein described and illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of our invention.

-We cl:

1. In a heating device,- the combination of a heater, means forcibly circulating a .mobile liquid through the heater repeate a storage tank for congealed liquids, a pipe opening into the tank and'having on its outlet a hydraulic tourniquet device, and means for diverting variable portions of the circulating liquid through the said tourniquet device so as to provide a shifting jet having a considerable velocity to impinge upon the k cally producing a s ifting jet of liquid issu are ing therefrom to impinge upon the congealed contents of the tank and break up and render mobile the same and carry it into the circulating liquidfand means for heating the circulating liquid.

3. A heating device comprising a storage tank, a pumping device, connections between the pumping device and the tank for circulating a liquid through the latter, the

inlet connection to the tank having at its .orifice within the tank a h draulic tourniquet device for automatica ly producing a shifting jet of the incoming liquid to impinge upon the congealed contents of the tank and break u and render mobile the same and carry it into the circulating liquid inlet and outlet pipes Within the storage tank being disposed adjacent one another, a

' branch inlet pipe connected to said inlet pipe and leading to a distant portion of the storage tank, a hydraulic tourniquet device amet within the tank and connected to'the end of the branch inlet pipe, a valve in each of said pipes whereby any desired portion of the heated liquid can be diverted through the storage tank by means of either or both of the inlet pipes.

5. In a heating device, the combination of a storage tank, inlet and outlet pipes leading to said storage tank with their terminals within the tank disposed adjacent each other, a branch inlet pipe leading from said inlet pipe to a portion of the tank distant from the other inlet terminal, a hydraulic tourniquet device disposed within the tank and connected to the branch inlet pipe, and means for circulating a heated liquid through said storage tank by means of said inlet and outlet pipes.

6. The method of changing oil from the congealed to the mobile state, which comprises repeatedly subjecting the congealed oil to direct contact with a shifting jet of heated oil, to render mobile the desired amount of the congealed oil.

In testimony whereof we hereunto subscribe our signatures.

BERNARD MILLS. REUBEN R. ROW. HOWARD C. DAVIS.

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